The people of Ndiowu Community in Orumba North Local Government Area have appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to come to their aid by calling for a fresh election into the traditional stool of the community.
They made the appeal during a peaceful protest they staged at the Light House, Awka, where they lamented that an election was conducted without the community’s consent and without carrying them along.
Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of Umudiabo Village, Ndiowu, Mr. Uchenna Iloh, went down memory lane on how they had worked with the Office of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in planning the election, but said that at a point, the issue took another turn when the ministry decided to hold the election on the 12th of this month instead of in April when members of the community would come for their annual general meeting.
Mr. Iloh noted that the said election did not hold water because it was marred by many irregularities, beginning from conducting the election outside the community hall and disenfranchising women, as they were restricted from taking part in the election, among others.
Also speaking, another indigene of Ndiowu, Mr. Amechi Okeke, explained that the position of the traditional ruler is rotational, adding that candidates from the village whose turn it was to produce the next traditional ruler were not allowed to take part in the election, and that the person announced as the Igwe-elect is not from the village whose turn it is.
Lending his voice, Vice Chairlady of Ndiowu Women, Mrs. Virginia Orji, said categorically that no election was conducted as far as the women of the community were concerned, recalling that Option A4 has been the only means of election in the community and that women are always part of the process, while calling for an election that would be accepted by all.
